Again a beautiful "pèpère" for my friend René Weber of Berlin, who doesn't hesitate to make the displacement every year to face the Spanish catfish.
That one came "to reward" us, hardly 2 hours after our arrival on the station.

Thierry Christians, of Belgium, spent its vacations in side sea to 2 hours of Mequinenza.
Knowing the reputation of the corner, and wanting to tempt the experience "silurid" once, he/it had contacted me previously to fish an evening.
Thing made, and record of the camp 2001.
2,30m and 73kg.
The small anecdote, is that we had in the boat, to that moment, this fish and another of 2,15m. (for Michel Rodriguez!)
The boat became suddenly a true rink, with more of 130 kg. of fish, and us 3! Epic! .

The "biggest" and "largest" that I never saw.
2,19 meters but enormous. We had to be 2 to hoist the fish on board.
The stomach of this fish was diforme, bacause: after some hours, it regurgitated a carp of a good ten kg begun hardly has be digest! Don't tempt to use the quick of this size!

Here is the photo of the vigorous silurid, that non happy to break us a cane, made Claude Valette take a small bath of midnight.
We still laugh on it!
Even though at the time I had rather a big fright because of the numerous branches showing on the surface.

This was the fishing day in company of Claude Valette, famous fishing guide in Mequinenza.
We did not gat back with empty hands.
Four catfish were caught (and slackened after the photo souvenir).
The two biggest were each 217cm and the two smaller ones measured 173cm and 150cm.
All the captures were hooked with eels.
Thank you for Claude for this splendid fishing party!

Catfish taken by Lionel in Mequinenza in the beginning of April 2001.
For the statistics, it measured 222cm and the weight was estimated about 75Kg.
In the photograph, from left to right: Xavier, Claude Valette and Lionel.

Marked Wels Catfish (4/4):
This 163cm long catfish has blue markings (tattoo) under its fins.
It is a "pilot" catfish which had been marked by Jean-Claude T. few years before.
From left to right:
Lionel - Joel P. - Jean-Claude T. - Xavier
(following the photos n°15, n°16 and n°17)

Our record of the year 1999 (3/3):
Our biggest capture 2,10 meters (1 hours 30 minutes to hoist it in the boat).
(following the photos n°11 and n°12)
From left to right: Xavier, Lionel, Franck and Vincent.